(1732–99). Called the Father of His Country, George Washington was a man of personal integrity and great courage. As a general, he led the American forces to victory in the American Revolution. After the war he presided over the convention that produced the United States Constitution. Finally he served for eight years as the first president of the United States.

Family and childhood

George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732 (February 11 according to the calendar in use at the time). He was the eldest child of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. His father was an energetic man who owned plantations, businesses, and mines.

George spent most of his childhood on a farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia. Although he had little formal education, he was good in mathematics. By his early teens he was able to do surveying and make accurate maps. He also mastered tobacco growing and stock raising.

Surveyor and farmer

Washington turned first to surveying as a profession. At 16 he joined a group sent to survey unknown lands on the Virginia frontier. On his return in 1749 he became the official surveyor of Culpeper County.

After Lawrence's death in 1752, Washington became head of Mount Vernon. He was only 20 years old. Over the years he gradually enlarged and improved the estate and its landscaping. He took great pride in his duties as a farmer. Most of the work at Mount Vernon was done by slaves.

Early military career

Washington joined the Virginia militia in the early 1750s. At that time the French were entering lands along the Ohio River that Britain had claimed. In April 1754 Washington was sent with almost 200 men to enforce the British claims to the Ohio River lands. In May he captured a French party and killed its commander. This attack began the French and Indian War. Outnumbered by a much larger force, Washington and his men had to surrender when the French counterattacked. They were allowed to return to Virginia only after they had given up their prisoners.

In 1755 Washington fought against the French once more, this time as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock. When Braddock was killed in battle, Washington led the defeated army to safety. In honor of his bravery, the governor of Virginia made him a colonel and commander of all Virginia troops.

Marriage and plantation life

After the war Washington returned to Mount Vernon. In 1759 he married Martha Dandridge, a widow with two children from her previous marriage. Washington settled down to the life of a landowner, becoming one of the richest planters in Virginia.

American Revolution

During this period Washington also served in the House of Burgesses, Virginia's representative assembly, in Williamsburg. There he heard discussions of resistance to British rule in the colonies. At first he remained loyal to Britain. By the late 1760s, however, he had joined in acts of resistance against unfair British policies.

In 1774 Washington participated in the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia, marking the beginning of his national career. In April 1775 fighting began between British and American troops in Massachusetts. When the second Continental Congress met in May, the representatives chose Washington to lead the colonial forces. In July 1775 he took command of the Continental Army.

The American Revolution lasted for six years. Washington's job as commander was difficult. He had to build an army from untrained and often unpaid men. Because terms of service were short, he often saw nearly his whole army disappear as soldiers went home.

At times Washington and his forces came close to total defeat. Their lowest point was the winter of 1777–78, which they spent in camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Thousands of soldiers were barefoot and without adequate clothing in the bitter cold. Many died of exposure, and more than 2,000 deserted. Mainly because of Washington's leadership, however, the troops held together. When spring came, they emerged as a well-disciplined and efficient fighting force.

In 1781 the British surrendered at Yorktown in Virginia. Two years later the peace treaty was signed. Washington went back to Mount Vernon. (See also Revolution, American.)

Election to presidency

Soon Washington returned to public life. He presided over the convention of 1787 at which the United States Constitution was written. After the Constitution was adopted, Washington was the obvious choice to be the country's first president. At the time, the president was chosen by a group of men called electors. The electors voted unanimously, and Washington took the oath of office in New York City on April 30, 1789. He was reelected in 1792. John Adams was his vice president.

The Washington administration

Washington realized that his decisions as president would determine whether the new government would succeed or fail. Therefore he acted cautiously. He was determined to build a federal government that would be respected throughout the United States and the world.

In choosing his advisers, Washington acted fairly and without favoritism. He asked Thomas Jefferson, the Virginian who had drafted the Declaration of Independence, to be his secretary of state. Alexander Hamilton was named secretary of the treasury. Gen. Henry Knox was appointed secretary of war, and Edmund Randolph became attorney general. These four men formed the first Cabinet.

Strong disagreements developed within the Cabinet. Hamilton believed that the federal government should be strengthened. Jefferson defended the power of the states. Washington supported Hamilton's views but tried to keep harmony between his two advisers. At the end of 1793, however, Jefferson resigned from the Cabinet.

Another problem faced by Washington was finding ways to pay the expenses of the new government. The Treasury introduced taxes on imports, property, and certain manufactured products. In 1794 farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against a tax on whiskey. Washington sent some 13,000 troops to the area, causing the rebels to give up. Washington's response to the Whiskey Rebellion demonstrated the power of the federal government.

Washington believed strongly that the United States should remain neutral in foreign affairs. He wanted the new country to establish its own identity before it became involved in the affairs of other countries. When war broke out between France and England in 1793, Washington refused to support either side. For the next 20 years Washington and the presidents who followed him stuck to the policy of neutrality.

Retirement and death

After eight years as president, Washington was tired. He refused to be considered for a third term. After retiring to Mount Vernon in March 1797, he devoted himself to his family and farm. Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement, however. On December 14, 1799, he died of a throat infection. He was buried at Mount Vernon.